Behind the Curtain
by Ciestess
Summary: "some smt: digital devil saga… perhaps it can be in a college au? the pairing is bat/harley, and i just want. soft. as much fluff as you can fit into nervous harley and whatever bat is doing." (OSW "unfamiliar w/ series" request type)


This OSW is a request from "emotional-support-lance" on Tumblr

* * *

Bat would be damned if they just got to run their clubs without him. And he'd be _damned _if this stupid, dying, _junkyard-of-a-college_ would keep him here another year just to get his revenge on them for kicking him out!  
Unfortunately for him, he was _already _damned: there was no way anyone would agree to let him into their clubs anymore. And as for trying to start his own - HA! As if anyone would join a club run by **him **at this point.  
Everyone knew his reputation for backstabbing and, well… generally being a manipulative bastard.

Everyone except the new students.  
So when bright-eyed Harley came in excited to join the non-existent Drama Club, tried to start one when he heard there wasn't one - and became a _nervous wreck_ when he heard what he'd have to do to run it…  
He thought he'd found the perfect pawn.

And he nearly was. Harley was decently charismatic, and a surprisingly good leader…  
When he wasn't having a nervous breakdown. Like he did right before he was supposed to give their recruitment speech. Which they then ended up having to reschedule.

Bat knew this was going to be his last chance at this, and he would NOT lose again!  
He had to keep Harley calm - improve his self-esteem somehow…

...

Bat led Harley to a small table. He thought he'd done a decent job for only having a few hours to set this up.

He'd needed a calm environment, so he reserved one of the many unused classrooms. It used to be an art room, so it came with actual tables, rather than just desks.  
There weren't any other classes going on either, making it relatively quiet. He tried to minimize potential stimulation even _more _by using candles (rather than the glaring fluorescents) for lighting - which were doubly useful by providing relaxing scents.

"Bat… What is this?"  
"It's your preparation for your speech tonight! Now come on, sit down."  
"I-... I don't know if I'm comfortable with this."  
"You want to run the Drama Club, don't you? Well this-"

"-No, I don't."  
Bat faltered for a second.  
"I don't want to run it. I just… want it to _exist_."  
Harley pulled the chair out and sat down at the overly-dressed-up table.  
Bat kept his voice uplifting, "Well, you're the best one to run it."  
Harley scoffed, "Yeah right. I couldn't even give a damn speech in front of, what? There were maybe ten people there?"  
"If you don't, who will?"  
Harley winced - then stared, head hanging, at the empty dark-blue tablecloth.

Sighing, Bat sat in the chair opposite him and set some plastic bags down on the floor.  
'_Here goes everything.'_  
"You're passionate. That's rare. And that's the most important thing when it comes to running a club in this place. It's the only thing that can get _and keep_ people in your club-"  
"-It's stupid." Harley looked up at him. "Making clubs compete with each other? I get there's a tight budget, but it's still stupid."  
"It's realistic."

Bat's eyes were hard.  
'_Easy. Can't scare him too bad…'_

"College is about gaining the skills we'll need in the real world, right? Well, entertainment is competitive. But that's not the point right now - the point is you being the best suited to run this club."  
Harley turned his head sideways, staring at him, "You're the one who's going to run it, anyway. You promised-"  
"-To help you, yes. But YOU'RE the face of the Drama Club. _No ones_ going to join a club with the creepy guy who _literally _got nicknamed 'Bat' for looking like a fucking vampire - and NOT the hot, sexy kind."  
Harley, for some reason, looked offended. "Hey! That's not- !"

"But you? Are you kidding? You look like King Arthur became a supermodel."  
Harley blushed - but still looked like he wanted to slap Bat.  
Bat smiled.  
"You've read or watched _something _with 'King Arthur,' right? You're an actor. So act."  
Bat's eyes gleamed, and he grinned in… well, a way that was _supposed _to be comforting, but he ended up looking more like a serial killer.  
"Act like a king - and I'll be Merlin, the one _actually _running things behind-the-scenes."  
Harley still looked uncertain, but he didn't say anything.

Leaning back in the plastic-and-metal chair and closing his eyes, Bat said, "You don't have to make any big decisions. Promise. I'll write your speeches, come up with ways to recruit members, etc. And you can focus on the fun things - the plays and… _whatever _else a Drama Club does."  
"And what about when you graduate?" Bat looked back at him. Harley was glaring slightly. "This is your last year here, right?"

Bat couldn't quite keep a wince out of eyes.  
'_Just play along.'_  
"What, you think I'm just going to abandon you? I made a prom-"  
"I'm not dumb."  
He froze.  
"You really think I don't know? About what you did to the Music Club. To _ALL _the clubs."  
Bat couldn't move. He'd hoped - really **believed **\- he'd be able to establish a relationship with Harley before word got to him. That he'd be able to-  
"But it doesn't matter. You are right."

'_... Wait, what?'_

"It _is _realistic. It's still stupid, but it's the same stupidity the real world works by, too."  
Bat couldn't help but stare at him.  
"So," Harley was shaking slightly - but he grinned at Bat. "I'll make a deal with you. If you agree to keep helping me even _after _you graduate - I don't care if you use the Drama Club to get your revenge."  
Bat was outright gaping at this point. Was he hearing him right?!  
"After all, we want the same thing: For our club to keep existing in this dying college. You, out of spite, and me… _passion_."

There were a few moments of silence as Bat processed his words.

Harley was still shaking… But his gaze was determined.  
He was serious - he really was willing to make this deal.

Finally… Bat grinned.  
"I wanted to leave this junk-college behind, but… I suppose…" He reached his hand out across the gaudy table. "It's a small price to pay."  
They shook hands - then Bat clapped his together.  
"If we keep talking like this, the chinese food will get cold!"

They ate their takeout chinese food, Bat blew out the candles-  
\- and Harley gave the best speech of his life that night.

With Bat watching him from behind the curtain.

* * *

This is part of my "One-Shot Wednesday" project - I'm trying to write a one-shot every week that other people have requested! Original Requests one week, and Fanfic Requests the next.  
(Only Fanfic OSWs are posted on this site, however.)

To **vote for the next OSW**, go to my Tumblr ("CiestessDE"), Twitter ("Ciestess"), or my website (crossroadofinfinity. com) to find the current poll!

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